BOSPHORUS HAVA YOLLARI TURİZM VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ
v. IRELAND JUDGMENT
13
H. The first and second judicial review proceedings: judgments of
the Supreme Court
57. By a notice of motion dated 29 October 1996, the applicant company
applied to the Supreme Court for, inter alia, an order determining the action
“in the light of the decision of the [ECJ]” and for an order providing for the
costs of the Supreme Court and ECJ proceedings. The grounding affidavit
of the applicant company of the same date stressed its bona fides, the benefit
of having had the ECJ examine the regulation for the first time, the fact that
ultimate responsibility for its predicament lay with the FRY authorities and
that its operations had been destroyed by the impoundment. It referred to
Regulation (EC) no. 2815/95, noting that it did not allow aircraft already
impounded to fly whereas those not previously impounded could do so.
Since its aircraft was the only one impounded under the sanctions regime,
no other lessee could have initiated the action it had in order to clarify the
meaning of the relevant regulation.
58. On 29 November 1996 the Supreme Court delivered its judgment
allowing the appeal of the Minister for Transport from the order of the High
Court of 21 June 1994. It noted that the sole issue in the case was whether
the Minister had been bound by Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) no. 990/93 to
impound the aircraft. Having noted the answer of the ECJ, the Supreme
Court simply stated that it was bound by that decision and the Minister's
appeal was allowed.
59. In May 1998 the Supreme Court allowed the appeal from the order
of the High Court of 22 January 1996. Given the intervening rulings of the
ECJ and of the Supreme Court (of July and November 1996, respectively),
the appeal was moot since, from the date of the initial order of
impoundment, the aircraft had been lawfully detained under Article 8 of
Regulation (EEC) no. 990/93. There was no order as to costs.
I. The return of the aircraft to JAT
60. The applicant company's leases on both aircraft had expired by
May 1996 (see paragraph 12 above). Further to the judgment of the
Supreme Court of November 1996 (see paragraph 58 above) and given the
relaxation of the sanctions regime (see paragraphs 67-71 below), JAT and
the Minister for Transport reached an agreement in July 1997 concerning
the latter's costs. JAT deposited 389,609.95 Irish pounds into a blocked
account in the joint names of the Chief State Solicitor and its solicitors to
cover all parking, maintenance, insurance and legal costs of the Minister for
Transport associated with the impoundment. On 30 July 1997 the aircraft
was returned to JAT.